A Twist of Fate
by Demonwolf
Summary: If Fate is knocked askew, would you set it back on course? Could you bear to if it meant some one you cared for would suffer?


**A Twist of Fate**

_A huge thanks to Shireheart for being my beta. Hope you all enjoy the story as much as she did (thanks again, Shireheart; you're the best! ^^)_

It really was sad. That three innocent people-one of them a little boy who had barely begun to live-had died in an unforeseen accident was nothing short of a horrible tragedy.

It was a pity that this opinion was not shared by those to whom the loss should have mattered most.

The two women who lived at the top of the hill dealt with the news by bringing home several bottles of wine and toasting the fact that they now had no living relatives to contend with. True they had not spoken with their now deceased relations in years, nor even seen their nephew, but Spiker and Sponge both agreed that it was a relief that the future would never trouble them with blood ties again.

Meanwhile, the bugs and insects who lived in every nook and cranny of the barren garden mourned the loss in their own ways. Yes, the affairs of the poor human family didn't concern them, but they weren't so cold-hearted that they couldn't feel sympathy for people who were undoubtedly better than Spiker and Sponge.

That night, the storm that had hovered above the countryside broke and cold rain poured down upon the dismal hilltop. Many of the bugs and insects were gathered underneath the old peach tree to discuss the events of the day. Not only was it dry and warm within the roots, but it was also safe. As Spiker and Sponge believed the tree was dead, they never bothered spraying insect repellent around it. As such, any bug in trouble would always find refuge within the withered roots and stump and several small rooms for wayfaring creatures were built into the thick old roots. And tonight, those rooms were packed.

"It's horrible really," all the bugs said to each other.

"Yes, I know. And those horrible women, not even caring."

"How old was the boy?"

"Don't ask me. Couldn't be very old though. Probably five or six."

"Poor dear. At least he was with his parents when… it happened."

"Yes, thank goodness for that. Can you imagine if he had to come and live here?"

"I'd prefer not to speculate."

"Me either. Still, to die like that and your only relatives not mourn you. It's disgusting is what it is."

And on and on.

As the night wore on, more bugs came to talk and others left to return to their homes (those that weren't flooded by the heavy rain that is). Underneath the tree however, there were six bugs who stayed as the hour grew later. A centipede, a grasshopper, an earthworm, a ladybug, a spider, and a glowworm. These six had never met before, but a mere glance at each other had convinced them to talk to each other. For all six had the same unsure look on their faces; a look that said that something was wrong, but none knew what it was.

"I didn't know that Spiker and Sponge had family left. Did any of you?" the Earthworm asked. The Centipede blew a ring of smoke off his cigar.

"Not a clue. But if I was related to those old biddies, _I_ wouldn't go around broadcastin' it." His voice was a bit rough due to a distinct Brooklyn accent, but his statement was agreed upon by all those gathered.

"And that poor little boy." The soft-hearted Mrs. Ladybug sighed. "Still, I couldn't imagine what would have become of him if he was forced to come and live with those horrible women." She fell silent, remembering how she sent away her own children away from the hill just so they'd have a chance at a better life.

"I agree with you," the Grasshopper said, polishing his monocle on his sleeve. "While I feel extremely sorry that the lad never got a chance at life, I wouldn't have wished life on this hilltop upon anyone."

"Strife on the billop?" the Glowworm said with a frown.

"No, he said 'life on the hilltop,'" an unfamiliar young voice corrected. All six looked up to see a figure, wrapped in a deep brown cloak and hood, sitting a few feet away from them They had been so deep in conversation that they hadn't realized that the small sitting room they were housed in was empty save for them and the figure.

"Didn't see you come in," Centipede said sitting up a little straighter."My apologies. I didn't mean to startle you," the figure replied. The voice, as well as being young, was also female. Mrs. Ladybug gestured to an empty chair.

"Sit down, dear. Are you here by yourself?"

"Yes. But I have my reasons."

"Reasons?" the Spider repeated. The hooded girl nodded.

"Yes. You see, I was looking for all of you." In the stunned silence that followed, the girl reached up and pushed back her hood. To the bugs' total shock, the figure was not an insect or a bug of any sort: she was a human.

The girl, who looked about fourteen, rested her elbows on the small round table where they were all seated and interlocked her fingers; she stared at her stunned audience with glittering grey eyes, a small smile playing about her lips. Shaking jet-black hair out of her eyes, she stated,

"You're all feeling confused, but you don't know why." Everyone was too dumbfounded to do anything but nod.

"I know why." "Who _are_ you?" Earthworm asked suddenly. While he couldn't see the strange girl, he could tell from her tone and the others' reaction that she was out of the ordinary. The girl gave a light chuckle.

"Who I am is not really important. But, for all practical purposes, you can call me Faria."

"Faria then," Mr. Grasshopper said, eyeing the girl sternly. "Well then, would you kindly state your reason for seeking us out?" Faria paused, then bluntly stated,

"Fate is out of balance."

"Gate out of tall mints?" Glowworm was extremely confused.

"Fate is out of balance," Miss Spider corrected her before turning back to Faria. "How is this?"

"Three people died today But the boy, James, was supposed to live."

"What?"

"Oh yes. And despite what you all said about not wanting him to live here, that was what was meant to be."

"But how could this have happened?" Mrs. Ladybug asked, flustered "I just don't see…"

"Fate goes out balance all the time," Faria replied. "Something happens that wasn't supposed to or some poor soul stumbles upon a secret best left unknown; any number of things really."

"But what about the natural order of things?" Mr. Grasshopper persisted. "If a person were to die when, in fact, he was supposed to discover something important, then wouldn't-" His words were cut off by a high peal of laughter from Faria.

"What if Thomas Edison hadn't invented the light bulb?" she giggled. "Do you think that would have sentenced the human race to an eternity of darkness? No, of course not! True, they would have remained in the dark longer, but some one would have invented the light bulb eventually. You see, life goes on regardless of who experiences it and what impact they have on the world. If, say, the entire human race were to die tomorrow, would the world stop turning?"

"Alright," Centipede said, meeting Faria's gaze dead on. "If Fate bein' knocked outta balance ain't so important, how come _you're_ here?"

"Whenever something like this happens, those meant to be involved have the power to fix whatever's been knocked askew. Some help, some don't,""Are you saying that we," Miss Spider gestured to the group "were meant to do something?" Faria nodded. "What?"

"Well, if you _really_ want to know," the girl paused and noted the bugs' apprehensive looks. "Oh, alright, I'll tell you. In a nutshell, you were eventually going to be that little boy's adoptive family."

"What?"

"How is that possible?"

"What are you saying?"

"We're all dreaming, aren't we?"

"No, you are not dreaming," the girl said with an impatient roll of her eyes. "I can't tell you everything that was meant to happen, only that you six plus that little boy were supposed to have a huge adventure, which would end in your adoption of the child and all of you living happily together."

"And now?" Mrs. Ladybug asked.

"Now you have a chance to right what was wronged. All I need is your verbal desire to send Fate back to the way it was meant to be. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh, yeah?" Centipede didn't look convinced. "What's the catch?" Faria met his blue eyes evenly.

"Huh, I thought you'd have guessed that by now. If you plan to set Fate back on its proper course, then it would mean that the boy, James, would have to come and live here with his aunts."

"So, in order to set things _back_ in order, we have to sentence an innocent child to life on this desolate hill?" Faria smirked at Mr. Grasshopper's words.

"That's up to you. But listen; it's 9 o'clock now. You have until midnight, when the old becomes the new, to make your decision. Until then, I bid you farewell."

The girl slipped her hood back over her head and glided out of the room.  
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To say that the six bugs were stunned would have been the understatement of the century. In fact, for the first few minutes after Faria's departure, there was not a word spoken between any of them. Oddly enough, it was Glowworm who broke the silence."What? Did you say something?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Not yet, but it seems we have much to discuss." Mr. Grasshopper looked around at the others. "Your thoughts, everyone?"

"She's playin' us," was Centipede's contribution. "This is some kinda trick"

"Yes, because human girls come here all the time," Miss Spider retorted, glaring at him.

"She could be lyin' though," Earthworm lamented. "She coulda made all that stuff about Fate and righting wrongs up and if we fall for it-"

"Thank you, Earthworm, but let's assume for now that she's telling the truth," Mrs. Ladybug said. "After all, if this _is_ a trick, it's a very odd one."

"I agree," Mr. Grasshopper replied. "Let us chance to believe that Faria is telling the truth. After all, we all felt as if _something_ was out of balance, did we not?" Everyone nodded. "Then let's give the girl the benefit of the doubt. There's more to her than meets the eye, I think."

"That's fer sure." Centipede tapped the ashes from his cigar to the floor. "So, what now? Do we tell her to fix Fate or do we just go with how it turned out?"

"Let it be, that's my vote," Earthworm said. "Maybe the boy wasn't supposed to die, but he did. It's got nothing to do with us, if it ever did."

"According to Faria, it had a _lot_ to do with us," Mrs. Ladybug reminded him. "But I can't bear the thought of those horrible women being given guardianship over a child. Especially if… if I would call that child my own someday."

"Dear lady," Mr. Grasshopper said softly. "That is a sentiment we both share."

"But if James never came here, we could never call him our own," Miss Spider said.

"Got that right, Angel Fangs," Centipede replied, ignoring Miss Spider's exasperated hiss. "We've never even _seen_ the kid. If I was gonna make a decision about his future, I'd wanna at least know what he looks like."

"So you want to set Fate back the way it was?" Earthworm asked.

"No, I don't. An' here's why: let's say that Faria's right an' we end up as one big happy family after livin' this hellhole for a while. One day, the kid asks one of us why his parents had to die an' he had to stay with a coupla hags who made his life miserable. What do we say? That _we_ made it happen?"

"I think you made your decision, Centipede," Miss Spider said softly.

"Yeah well," he muttered. "Haven't we all?"

"But what if something even worse happens because we didn't set Fate back the way it was?" none other than the Earthworm lamented. "For all we know, that boy could've been an important figure in history and if we don't set things back, then-"

"I've been thinking about that too, Earthworm," Mr. Grasshopper stated, cutting off Earthworm's moaning. "Faria's arguments about life continuing whether or not Fate plays out as it's supposed to make sense, but is that up to us to decide? What if we set the human race back a hundred years because one child wasn't able to grow up to make an impact on the world?"

"In other words, the needs of one against the needs of many?" Mrs. Ladybug asked.

"In a matter of speaking," the elder insect replied.

"Then, you vote to set Fate back?" the Earthworm asked. Mr. Grasshopper smiled and slowly shook his head.

"No, my friend. In fact, I plan to tell Faria that I'd rather let the boy rest in peace alongside his parents. As I said before, I wouldn't wish this life on anyone, especially a son of mine."

"That is my vote too," Miss Spider said, looking pleased. The Glowworm, who apparently was able to hear for the moment, nodded in agreement.

"Oh, alright, mine too," the Earthworm cried suddenly. "Besides, if life goes on, we don't really have much to worry about, right?" The others murmured agreement with the pessimistic creature.

"Well, it's 10:30 now," Mr. Grasshopper said, glancing up at the wall where a small clock (in reality the face of a discarded watch) was mounted. "We have roughly an hour and a half before Faria comes back. Are we all certain that this is the course we wish to take?"

Everyone nodded.

"Huh, Faria shoulda stuck around; didn't take us long ta decide," Centipede noted.

"I wonder if she's nearby," Mrs. Ladybug mused. "If midnight's the deadline, she probably couldn't have gone far."

"I didn't," a familiar voice said. Sure enough, Faria was leaning in the doorway, a smile playing about her lips.

"How long have you been there?' Earthworm all but shrieked.

"For merely a moment. I had a feeling that you were ready to give me your answer."

"You are correct, Miss Faria," Mr. Grasshopper replied, a tad coolly. The girl came to stand in front of the group, fixing all of them with her piercing gaze

"Well then, what do you chose? Will you set Fate back on its proper course or let your adopted child rest in peace?"

"The second one," Centipede blurted out.

"Ah?"

"We understand that Fate is out of balance, but we can't ask a child to live with Spiker and Sponge on the chance that he's meant to do something later in life," Mr. Grasshopper explained.

"Especially a child of ours," Mrs. Ladybug added, clutching her pocketbook.

"It is not right," Miss Spider said. "We would rather him be happy."

"And he won't be happy here," Earthworm muttered. Glowworm nodded. Faria blinked, glanced around at all of them, and then broke out laughing and clapping.

"I knew it! Oh, I knew you would chose this!" She looked positively delighted.

"What are you-"

"Don't you see? Where others would have set Fate back on it proper course, stating that the needs of many outnumber the needs of one, they would not be acting in the best interest of the one who would suffer. Would you want some one making decision about your future if you didn't even get a say in it?

"But you did well. You acted out of love and compassion for a small boy for whom no one else in this whole world cared enough about to protect him from his aunts. In short, you proved that you are, in all sense of the word, his family. So go enjoy your lives, with my blessing."

Faria held out her hand. There was a flash of light and then, nothing.  
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Outside, the rain continued to fall. Miss Spider saw it falling heavily through her window from her web.

She frowned. Window? Web? She looked around her familiar room in the Peach Pit House. Had the events of the previous night been a dream?

Miss Spider left her room and headed downstairs The house was still quiet, meaning it was either very early or everyone had already left. A glance at the calendar tacked up on the wall near the refrigerator confirmed that it was Saturday, meaning she had the night off, but would have to stop by her club to make sure everything was running smoothly. That's right, and since she was the only one home, she would have James for the day, which meant…

James! Miss Spider turned at the sound of small light footsteps behind her. Sure enough, the family's adopted child trotted into the room. His face brightened when he saw her.

"Hi, Miss Spider!" he chirruped.

"Good morning, James," Miss Spider answered, accepting and returning the hug from her little boy. Relief flooded her; James was fine and safe. She stroked his hair for bit before releasing him. James regarded her curiously.

"Are you okay, Miss Spider?" Miss Spider smiled at him.

"Yes, James, I am fine. Are you ready to go?" The little boy nodded.

"Yes. Will Leah be there today?" Miss Spider laughed at the mention of her newest worker: a nineteen-year-old college girl with a sweet personality.

"I think so. Let's find out."  
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It wasn't until much, much later, after James was in bed that the family spoke of the supposed dream they'd had.

"How could we all dream the same thing?" Earthworm maintained. "Something must have happened."

"But what?" Mr. Grasshopper asked. "I don't see how-" His words were cut off by a light tapping sound on the living room window. All six of the family glanced at the window and all received a shock. Standing there, sheltered from the rain due to her heavy cloak and hood, was Faria. The lamps in the living room provided the family enough light to see the glitter of her grey eyes and the small smile on her face. She waved at them but before anyone could make a move, there was a flicker of the lights in the room and Faria was gone.  
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Another cloaked and hooded figure waited a few feet away from the Peach Pit House. He was an older man; the black hair on his head was thinning, but his eyes were still a glittering grey. Fingering one of the numerous watches hanging from his coat under his cloak, the man raised an eyebrow as Faria appeared next to him.

"Are you satisfied?"

"I am. You were right; they were meant to be together. All of them." Faria brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. "But I am glad you let me make sure of it."

"Well, it's a big part of your training, Faria. But I had nothing but faith in you, my dear." There was a pause, then Faria spoke two words.

"Thank, Dad."


End file.
